One Etna North

Project idea

Mt. Etna in Sicily is an asthenospheric window generated by the collision of African and Eurasian lithosphere. Its structural development is directly described to the geodynamics of the Mediterranean basin and shows specific petrologic and geochemical features, related to the extremely complex tectonic geodynamic setting.
It is, however, a huge international research centre, largely influencing
volcanology, geology and geomorphology studies, where people from all
around the world come to analyze geological variations and colonization
processes on new surfaces by several plants. Perhaps is important to underline that all these activities generate at the same time, a mechanism based on transformations of the urban system, that shift into touristic infrastructures. In fact, during the last five years, recent developments by the local government aim to build several services, but still focusing on preservation of the biotic and geo-diversity communities. Nevertheless, are still missing many developments that can include an
urban quality to all the area, starting with an architectural discourse that
can emphasize the existing landscape condition. Contextualizing an identity, where the general knowledge about urban planning is limited.
This is why the project aims to find the Genius Loci of this specific site,
with a distinctive architectural language, to influence a vaster scientific
audience, that can essentially work as an infrastructural translation for a new touristic era in Etna.

Project description

As already mentioned, the dynamic configuration, information and analysis through deep research in the site projects, must be merged as a source translated in an architectural element, the roof. Different issues are the primitive influences that can be part of an initial question, answered through a generation of a form that creates a solution to important topics.
One Etna North, looks as well, to the feasibility of influencing the quality of the space, so the roof works as a machine that responds to the possibility of bringing and manipulate natural light, through a construction process that enphiteze the lightness of the structure.
The importance of the construction system, structural joints and materials, reinforce the relationship between the design - landscape - people.
Concurrently, as programmed by the initial brief, the organization process divides itself in three main functional building, so three separated roofs connected together with a series of bridges and roads and rotated in the eastern side of the Monte Nero delle Concazze.
Derive from this thought, that our buildings must be designed with a
particular architectural language that gives coherency to a programme of regeneration of that area. This is why the modularity, plays a fundamental role as an intensive production of spaces below the roof, but still as a distinctive concept that we can find only through a parametric variation of the form. The view, one of the most important aspects of this design, is related to the conformation of the ground. The shell structure opens several hyperbolic curves into the surrounding volcanic environment. For this aspect, the spatial configuration under the roof is an element that focused on the view but changes the arrangement on every distinct space, connected to the function of that particular module.The main building in the middle aims to serve the surrounding area with a mineral museum evaluating the capacity to bring in single volume important rocks and minerals from caves. As a narration of the history of the volcano where stratification and eruptions become relevant topics. An auditorium will follow the sequence of the space, with 400 seats and a central perspective point will be a venue used for general meetings. At that time we could discover a space dedicated for offices and another one for workshops, both with a series of spaces where the visual connection, intimacy and debate, influence and transform the architectural flexibility. In the end, two restaurants and will take part in the programme, where the visitor can be part of an independent narration, by a complete openness where the public space works as a generator of interactions between volumes and people.The Shell structure on the right-hand side is dedicated to different
residences, with around 80 rooms, as a support for the main building.
Located in a more elevated position of the crater, because the solar radiation is more direct during the day.
Finally, the lower building on the left is the smallest in terms of space,
located in a specific area much more closer to the existing jeep route and
the cable car. The purpose over here is to design spaces that can be used
as a support for different services that exist in the area. Creating coherence and connection in a unique project, which produce a single cultural and infrastructural setting.

Technical information

The roof represents a free extension, that can be modified, perforated and theorized, where a specific requirement needs different elements, recalling the fact that the relationship with the ground is important as well. Here the Mineral Museum works using three single modules connected, and in an inclusive condition under the ground. So the volume in between employs different narrations where the use of floors becomes suspended terraces. Bridges and infrastructure establish a possibility that addresses the necessity and the flexibility in a contemporary museum, where every day there is a new exhibition, tangible systematization of the space that must respond to an enormous range of frameworks. Cafes and restaurants operate with a duplex distribution, with one single module occupation, where horizontal dispositions in front of the eye view of the shell, enhance the contact with the landscape.
At this point, all the services are placed under the ground and the leisure
space is from level zero to level three. The auditorium tries to express the idea of a configuration that takes advantage from the order of the shell, the function here is rotated of 90 degrees, and the curve form of the shell becomes a gentle blind that focuses the attention of the audience, on the primary central stage.
Workshops and offices play both under the ground, with a combination of modular panels that define the internal space but still with double heights.
Introducing natural light to the floors below and vertical connections
through elevators and stairs. Altogether the use of elevators and ramps
canonize the understanding of a public area that must be accessible to all people, including a horizontal connection between these spaces and the landscape. A touch of research on how internal and external distribution can be contextualized up to the minimum attention.As a process of research and observation, regarding the quality of the space
and the interaction between form and landscape, the use of VR technology carries out a fundamental role in the distribution of how the perception of the space becomes much more important than a classic design limited only to plans and sections.Working with an extreme topography, automatically request an accurate
typology of representation of the land, that in a way comes from a
2-dimensional data-triangulation, if we look to the classic topographical
maps.
In this case, Photogrammetry can help the method of representation and
contextualization. This method can rebuild a 3-dimensional object to survey, through interactive paths lead on 2-dimensional and planar images from two different positions.